What are the complications of class III obesity?

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What are the complications of class III obesity?

Class III obesity is a serious medical condition that can contribute to the development of several health conditions, including:

  • Metabolic syndrome: A person has metabolic syndrome if they have a combination of at least three of the following conditions: central obesity, high triglyceride (TG) levels, low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and elevated fasting blood glucose (blood sugar) levels.
  • Type 2 diabetes: Excess fat storage can lead to insulin resistance, which can lead to type 2 diabetes (T2D). The risk of developing T2D increases by 20% for each 1 point increase on the BMI scale. Many other factors contribute to the development of T2D. Not everyone who has obesity has T2D, and not every person who has T2D has obesity.
  • Heart disease: Prolonged exposure to obesity leads to worsening of cardiac (heart) function and heart disease. Having obesity can lead to having a larger ventricular mass, systolic dysfunction (impaired ventricular contraction) and atrial fibrillation (a quivering or irregular heartbeat).
  • High blood pressure (hypertension): People with obesity are 3.5 times more likely to have high blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart disease.
  • Atherosclerosis (when plaque builds up inside your arteries): Obesity is a risk factor for atherosclerosis, and can accelerate it due to other obesity-related health conditions, including high blood pressure, elevated glucose levels and systemic inflammation.
  • Certain cancers: Obesity is associated with an increased risk of 13 types of cancer. These cancers accounted for approximately 40% of all cancers diagnosed in the United States in 2014.
  • Sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea: There’s a correlation between obesity and obstructive sleep apnea (when you momentarily stop breathing while sleeping several times). In people with obesity, fat deposits in their upper respiratory tract narrow the airway, which decreases muscle activity in this area, leading to breathing issues and sleep apnea.
  • Breathing issues: Obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) is a breathing disorder that affects some people who have obesity. The condition causes you to have too much carbon dioxide and too little oxygen in your blood. If left untreated, it can lead to serious and even life-threatening health problems.
  • Osteoarthritis: Having excess weight puts extra pressure on your joints, such as your knees. This makes it more likely that you'll develop osteoarthritis (OA), a degenerative joint disease, or make it worse if you already have it.
  • Depression: Approximately 43% of adults with depression have obesity, and people who have obesity have a 55% greater risk for developing depression throughout their life compared to people who do not have obesity.

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